Arctic Monkeys – the ‘Humbug’ reviews so far

It's a big week for Arctic Monkeys: on Monday (August 24) they released their third album 'Humbug'. This weekend they headline Reading and Leeds. And last night (26 August) they played a warm-up gig at London's Brixton Academy, supported by supergroup Them Crooked Vultures. Pic: Andy Willsher

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Last night the Sheffield band aired a number of tracks from 'Humbug', kicking off with the album's opening track 'My Propeller'. Unusually, frontman Alex Turner ditched his guitar for 'Potion Approaching', trying his hand as an out-and-out frontman. Pic: Andy Willsher

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Keep clicking for more photos from Arctic Monkeys' Brixton warm-up gig - as well as all the reviews of 'Humbug' so far. According to the music review aggregator Metacritic, the album has scored an average mark of 8 out of 10, based on the views of 75 critics. Pic: Andy Willsher

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NME's own Gavin Haynes gave 'Humbug' 7 out of 10. He wrote: "For all its righteous fury, there are moments when they don’t find that extra gear, and the trade-off between texture and songwriting unbalances in their haste to zag away into the future." Pic: Andy Willsher

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Drowned In Sound were similarly even-handed. They also gave it 7, concluding that 'Humbug' is "eminently not astounding but it is inventive, and likeably so". Pic: Andy Willsher

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Joining in the guarded approval was The Times' Stephen Dalton, who gave the album 3 out of 5: "'Humbug' is a meaty and serious work, but ultimately it feels like an inconclusive experiment." Pic: Andy Willsher

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In common with most publications, The Observer were measured in their praise for 'Humbug'. Gareth Grundy wrote: "The problem is, for the first time, Turner's words are more memorable than the tunes." Pic: Andy Willsher

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The Observer's sister publication The Guardian also pointed out that Alex Turner's lyrics are the most impressive thing about the album: "The lyrics are a dazzling display of what Turner can do," wrote Alexis Petridis. Pic: Andy Willsher

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Uncut were more positive than most, bestowing four stars, although reviewer Sam Richards admitted it wasn't exactly heaving with tunes: "It’s hard to imagine many of these songs being bellowed back at the band from the Reading Festival compound." Pic: Andy Willsher

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Pitchfork gave the album 7.2: "'Humbug' isn't better than either of its predecessors, but it expands the group's range and makes me curious where it might go next." Pic: Andy Willsher

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Writing for BBC Music, Mike Diver penned one of the most positive reviews: "Put aside all thoughts of imminent backlash immediately, as 'Humbug' is Arctic Monkeys’ most enjoyably complete album to date." Pic: Andy Willsher

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Rolling Stone gave the album a solid four stars, revelling in Alex Turner's growing maturity as a lyricist: "As in his side project, The Last Shadow Puppets, Turner plays with the role of a louche showbiz balladeer." Pic: Andy Willsher

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Mojo also bestowed four stars. Their conclusion? "Beyond the dirty talk, this is a beautifully balanced record." Pic: Andy Willsher

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Spin magazine's critic was less impressed. "This is oval-shaped music, circling around the tracks; it’s accomplished, but not particularly infectious," wrote Sean Fennessey. Pic: Andy Willsher